Phonograph record



A man a, 11924 'msasw G. M. BROWNING PHONOGRAPH RECORD Filed Dec. 27.1922 Il llllllllll H v k INVENTOR 6 @eorge m. grown in his ATTORNEYPatented Apr. 8, 1924.

l,489,l6 T l E PHONOGRAPE RECORD.

Applicationflled December 27, 1922. Serial No. 609,211.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. BROWN- me, a citizen of the- United Statesof America, residing at Rutherford, in' the county of Bergen and Stateof New J ersey,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonograph Records,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

It is not unusual at the present time to make phonograph records ofcelluloid or similar pyroxyline compounds, and for certain purposes itis desirable that they be uite thin; so thin, in fact, that it isdifcult to kee them flat, or revent them warping or ulging, especial ywhere the central hole is of such dimensions or character that thematerial of the disk is gripped by the central pin of the phonographturntable when the record is in place, and thereby forced up in a cone,or the record otherwise distorted. It will be understood that unless therecord, while being played, is perfectly fiat, it does not functionproperly.

Another objection to such light'and thin records is their tendency toslip over the surface of the turn-table and thus remain stationarythereon under the contact pressure of the reproducing needle, and thisobjection becomes the more serious as the diameter of the record disk isreduced.

To improve records of this character so as to prevent them bulging,wrinkling or becoming distorted when in use, and to prevent the1rslipping over the turn-table and remaining stationary when not securedto the central pin, is the object of my present invention, and thesubject of this application for patent.

In carrying out this invention I provide for a thin celluloid orequivalent record a strengthening or reinforcing means. If the record beof any considerable diameter, say, seven to ten inches, it is preferableto use for such reinforcement a metallic strip which is bent overthe'outside edge of the disk and secured thereto by pressure. If therecord be smaller than this, the rein-' forcement may be secured byimpressing in the material of the record one or more annularcorrugations or ridges at points where there are no record grooves. Ineither case,

.this reinforcing keeps the disk flat and free from distortion. I

In order to increase thegripping power of the disk, and not to rely onfrictlon with the. turntable alone, I form in the metal band or 1ncorrugations teeth, which enter the soft felt or material covering theturntable and resist slipping of the disk thereon. Such teeth ma be mostreadily and conveniently formed by pressing out the material and shouldbe in the general nature of saw-teeth, turned in a direction to morefully resist relative movement of the disk and the turn-table.

In more detail the improvements are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing and referred to in the description of the same which follows:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a disk embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a large disk with an ap lied metalreinforcement.

Fig. 3 is a vertical view of a small record wish the reinforcementsimpressed therein; an

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the sawteeth,.in this case formed b thedisplacement of the record material in the corrugations forming thereinforcement.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 designates a phonogra h recordcomposed of a thin sheet of col uloid in which by the usualv and wellknown process a record groove has been pressed. This disk record has acentral hole 2 through which the spindle of the phonograph will passwhen the disk is put on the instrument for playing. Around the edge ofthe disk is a metal band 3. This may e of tin or other metal and isdoubled over the edge and pressed into close union with the disk. Thisband should possess sufficient rigidity to prevent the disk fromwarping, bulging or becoming distorted when in use.

In Fig; 3 a smaller disk of the same material is shown. Such a disk doesnot require an applied reinforcement, as it may be given suflicientrigidity or resistance to distortion by forcing the material to formcorrugations or ribs 4:, near its outer edge, or both outer sides 4, andanother rib or corrugation 5 near its center at a point where there areno record grooves.

If the disk has a record on both sides, the corrugations, instead ofbeing of substantiall" a U-shape, may be double or more nearly li e theletter S in conformation.

In the case of either of the disks above described, the tendency of thesame to slip over the surface of the turn-table may be counteracted byforming saw-teeth 6 in the reinforcement. These teeth may be pressed orpunched out of the metal reinforcement 2, as shown at 7 in Figs. 1 and2, or pressed or )unchcd from the material of the disk itself, and inthis case they will project from the high points of the corrugations orribs, whiclnscrve as the reinforcements.

The teeth are formed approximately as shown in Fig. 4, so as toengage'the Woolly surface of the turn-table which normally moves in thedirection of the arrow.

The invention is not limited to the specific form or character of thereinforcement herein shown and described, nor to the particular methodof making or applying the saw-teeth above set forth, but what I claim asmy invention is:

1. A phonograph record disk of thin flexible material such as celluloidhaving impressed therein annular corrugations in a part of the diskwhere there is no record groove, said corrugations projecting from bothsides of the disk and designed and adapted to maintain the same in aflat condition when in use.

L i-seem 2. A phonograph. record disk of thin flexible material such ascelluloid having punched from a part where there is no record groovepointed portions in the nature of saw teeth desi nod and adapted toengage the surface of t 1e record support to reslst slipping thereon.

3. A phonograph record disk of thin flexible material such as celluloidhaving annular corrugations impressed in parts of the disk where thereis no record groove and pointed portions punched from the high points ofsuch corrugations in the nature of saw teeth designed and adapted toengage the surface of the record support to resist slipping thereon.

4. A phonograph record of thin flexible material such as celluloidhaving impressed therein around its outer edge and near its center wherethere is no record groove, an-

nular reinforcing corrugations or ribs designed and adapted to maintainthe same in a fiat condition when in use.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix. my

signature.

GEORGE M. BROWNING.

